Linear and switch-mode voltage regulators constitute fundamental building blocks of today's power management integrated circuits (ICs). One such type of regulator is known as a switching regulator or switching power supply, which controls the flow of power to a load by controlling the on and off duty-cycle of one or more power switches coupled to the load. As an example, a switching regulator can reside in an IC, such that external feedback resistors and an external inductive power source are coupled to the switching regulator to provide a regulated voltage potential at the output of the inductor.
It is typically important to protect the power regulator, as well as associated external circuitry such as the circuitry to which the power regulator provides power, from damage resulting from excessive current. As a result, a power regulation system may include overvoltage protection. As an example, overvoltage protection circuitry may monitor the output voltage of the power regulation system and provide a signal indicating the overvoltage condition. However, monitoring the output voltage of the power regulation system can result in power loss of the power regulation system, as the overvoltage protection circuitry draws power from output voltage of the power regulation system. In addition, such an overvoltage protection system may require one or more dedicated pins on the IC in which the power regulation system resides, as the output voltage may not be provided directly from the IC. Furthermore, by providing a pin on the IC that corresponds to the output voltage, a large electrostatic discharge structure may be necessary to prevent damage to the power regulation system resulting from a high magnitude of the output voltage that is within an acceptable range of output voltages.